Scars of Survival
by MaiaSakamoto
Summary: Akira's story, from the murder of his family up until he died protecting Asuka. Prequel to Scars of ANBU.
1. Chapter 1

All I remember of my parents is a crimson stain slowly spreading beneath their bodies. All I remember of my sister is her scream as her life ended. All I remember of their murderer is an evil laugh and a silver leaf. Every night for two months I had the same nightmare, woke to the same sense of loneliness. My life had become empty, meaningless. Struggling to survive without a means of supporting myself, I'd resorted to stealing.

I don't know how I'd survived that night. Maybe the man who'd killed my family had been surprised to see me. Maybe he just didn't feel like chasing me through the streets. Whatever the case, I had survived, reliving every moment in my thoughts and dreams. I missed my parents, of course, but they had always seemed a little distant. Mostly I missed my sister. She had been my best friend, the one I could always trust. She'd always looked after me.

Now I had no one and nothing. When I'd returned that night, I'd found that my house had been burned to the ground. All I'd managed to save was a necklace that had belonged to my sister. It had an interesting pendant on it, and from that day I always wore the necklace under my shirt. Lost, I spent many days wandering through the town, stealing food when I could. Eventually, I decided it was time to leave. I just couldn't face the place where it had happened anymore.

That was how I found myself in the situation I was in. Moonlight shone through the steel bars on the window, painting the shadows on the floor and walls. I shifted slightly, the cold raising bumps on exposed skin. Feeling a sad kind of peace, I stared at was sure to be my last night sky. The stars seemed brighter and colder; the moon distant. Sounds of night creatures completed the perfect picture, and I felt truly relaxed. What more could they possibly do to me? Footsteps approached my cell, and I turned, curious, when I heard a key scrape in the lock.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of a key scraping in the lock had me leaping to my feet. A man walked in, face hidden by shadows. A sudden urge to flee overwhelmed me, and I let my basic instincts take control. I dashed past the man, dodging his outstretched hand. I flew down the hall, and burst out of the jail. I ran through the night, only stopping after falling to the ground, exhausted. I held my head in my hands, confused. Why had I run like that?

My skin prickled, and I glanced up, scanning the area around me. Shadows hid everything, but I knew someone or something was watching me. Carefully I reached for a large stick, figuring that any weapon would be better than none. Footsteps were the only warning I had before pain exploded across my back. I lunged forward, away from the attack. Getting to my feet, I turned and found a large man staring at me, grinning.

He swung at me, and I ducked. A sudden hot pain in my shoulder alerted me to the fact that he had a knife. I backed away, looking for an escape. Nothing prevented itself. In my fear last night, I had run into a valley. A cliff face stood behind me, and the only exit was blocked by the man standing before me. He watched as I figured this out, he's grin growing wider. _I'm trapped. Now what?_ I glanced around again, looking for a weapon. Spotting a large tree standing just behind and to the left of my attacker, I smiled.

He walked forwards slowly, enjoying the moment. I waited patiently, watching as he got closer, calculating the distance. I stepped forwards and began to run. The attacker hesitated, surprised. I dashed forwards and leapt, reaching for a low-hanging branch. I swung up onto the branch, balancing lightly on my feet. The attacker gawped, and I just grinned, sitting comfortably in the tree. He glared at me, and walked away. I watched him go; spending a couple of hours in the tree to make sure he had truly left.

Silently I leapt from the tree, and escaped the valley. I walked for many hours, unsettled by the feeling of being watched. But every time I glanced up, every time I looked, no one was visible. Nervous, I decided to head for the nearest town, figuring I'd be able to lose any followers in the crowd. The size of the town surprised me. For a while I stood frozen, overwhelmed by the number of people and buildings.

"Get out of the way!" someone snarled, shoving past me. I flinched, and found myself being pushed by forward by the crowd. Soon, I realised I could see a cliff face behind a large building. The cliff had faces carved into it. Glancing around, I realised that quite a few people were wearing headbands on their foreheads, arms, and even around their waists. The symbol etched into each headband had me paralysed. It was a leaf.


	3. Chapter 3

Images swirled through my head. Blood dripping from my sister's fingers. A silver leaf. My mother's terrified face. A strangely shaped knife. A silver leaf resting on shadows. I fell to my knees, dizzy. A hand rested on my shoulder, and someone knelt before me. They were saying something, but I couldn't hear them over the rushing in my head. A jolt of fear shot through me when I saw the silver leaf on her forehead. I stood and ran, keen to put as much distance between myself and the leaf as possible.

I ran into a silver-haired man, and fell. He held out his hand and helped me to stand. I tried to bolt again, but his grip on my wrist prevented me from moving. I struggled, but he remained unmoved. Eventually I stopped, adrenalin leaving my body in a rush. I faced the man, defiant. He might have smiled, but a mask hid the lower half of his face. "Why the rush?" he asked, amused. I looked away, unsure. I desperately wanted to tell my story, but could I trust him?

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! You were supposed to meet us at the training field!" a loud voice yelled out. I slipped my wrist free of my captor's grasp and fled to a nearby corner. A blonde boy walked forwards, followed by a pink-haired girl and a black-haired boy. The girl looked ready to punch the blonde, but he ignored her. The black-haired boy was glancing my way, and I ducked around the corner.

My captor, Kakashi, glared at his students. "I was helping a young boy-" he began to answer, but was interrupted by the blonde. "No you weren't, and you weren't walking down the path of life either. Come on, we have some training to do." The black-haired boy spoke, voice quiet. "He's not lying, Naruto." Naruto stared at him, disbelieving. "You believe him, Sasuke?" The black-haired boy, Sasuke, nodded. Sasuke glanced pointedly in my direction. His attitude annoyed me, and I felt challenged.

Walking forwards, I held my head high as I felt the three teens before me looking me up and down. Naruto turned away and shrugged. "So you actually had a reason this time. You're still late, Sensei." Kakashi sighed, and began to lead the teens away. "Nice pendant. I haven't seen one of those in a while," he murmured as he passed me. I jerked back in shock. Did he know what this pendant meant?


	4. Chapter 4

How could he know what this pendant means? I stood frozen as people passed me, overwhelmed by his revelation. Could he help me find those responsible for my family's death? If he knew, would he help me? Eventually I shook myself, realising I was getting too much attention. I headed in the general direction Kakashi and the three teens had gone, wandering around until I found them. My path led me to an open, grassy clearing. Trees surrounded the clearing, and I watched as the teens sparred with each other and practiced jutsu. They were shinobi.

I watched and waited until the teens had finished their training. After I was sure they'd gone, I leapt into a tree at the edge of the clearing. Settling down, I waited for sleep to take me. Sudden warmth beside me had me leaping away and readying myself for a fight before I knew what was happening. Kakashi chuckled, watching me with a strange expression. "Do you really know what this pendant means?" I asked bluntly. Kakashi nodded. "It's the symbol of an elite group of shinobi in this village. Tell me, who are you?"

I paused, unsure. "I have no name. I left it behind long ago." Kakashi glanced at me, before returning his gaze to the stars. "What was that name?" I shrugged, and hugged my knees to my chest. "Kairi." I waited for a response, but Kakashi said nothing. Soon, his presence vanished, and I knew he had left. I settled against the tree again, readying myself for sleep. I succumbed to the darkness and peace of slumber, eager to escape the day's events for a while.

Quiet voices woke me. Starting, I realised that people were staring at me. I glared at them, and dashed towards the village entrance. Before I could leave the village, I was stopped by the gatekeepers. "Hey, are Kairi?" I paused, and nodded slowly. The gatekeeper who had asked the question smiled. "Kakashi wants you to meet him at the old oak in the forest." I nodded my acknowledgment of the message, and headed for the forest. Where was the old oak I was supposed to meet him at? I paused to think, and realised it would be deeper in the forest, as all the trees at the edge of the forest were fairly young.

I moved deeper into the forest, and soon picked up tracks for all kinds of animals and one set of human tracks. I followed the signs until I reached a large oak tree standing proudly in the middle of a clearing. Staring up through the branches, I found Kakashi waiting for me. I thought he may have smiled at me, though it was hard to tell with his mask on. "So you found the tree. Well done." He leapt to the, landing lightly on his feet. "I can help you find the people responsible for your family's death. But there is one condition. You must come with me to ANBU headquarters."

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><p><strong>AN- Hi! I hope y'all enjoying this story. I figured Akira didn't get appear enough in Asuka's story, so here's his.<strong>

**Akira: Damn right I didn't get to appear enough. **

**Asuka: Hey, it was my story. You have your own!**

**Akira: You so like me.**

**Asuka: Do not!**

**Akira: Do too!**

**Asuka: Do not!**

**MaiaSakamoto: HUSH! This is my bit damnit!**

**Anyways, please review! Any and all help is appreciated. Except for flames. You can bugger off. Oh yea, and I do not own Naruto.**


	5. Chapter 5

_What is ANBU?_ This thought plagued me as I followed Kakashi to buildings built in the cliff face. Could he really help me find out what had happened to my family? The corridors we walked were dark and twisted, and the deeper we got, the worse the corridors got. I followed Kakashi closely, unwilling to lose him and become lost. He led me to a large room with a high ceiling hidden by shadow. A table sat in the centre of the room. Seven men and one woman sat at the table, all wearing masks.

They turned when Kakashi entered, interrupted by our arrival. Though they wore masks, I could feel them staring at me. I refused to look down, and instead focused my gaze on the wall behind the table. I heard a soft giggle, and realised I'd amused the woman in some way. "Why are you here?" one man asked Kakashi, his voice soft and deep. Kakashi bowed his head, replying, "I bring Maya's brother. He wishes to know why his family was attacked." The men around the table began to argue among themselves. The lone woman continued to watch me, sitting still as a statue.

Finally, the man who had spoken originally spoke again. "You shouldn't have brought him here. Why did you?" Kakashi glanced at me, before turning back. "He's a survivor, and shows great potential. I would like to request that ANBU take him in." His request was met by more argument. We waited a few minutes before the decision had been made. "Your request will be granted, Kakashi. Do not make a habit of this." Kakashi shook his head, and might have been smiling under his mask. He turned to me. "You will live here now. Stay, and learn the reason for your family's death." I nodded, and he left.

"What is your name?" the woman asked me quietly. I glanced her way, before quickly returning my gaze to the wall. "I no longer have one." This answer seemed to please her and a couple others at the table. "Your name will be Akira. Come with me." A man led me from the room, and through more twisting corridors. Soon we were walking down a corridor with many doors. He led me to one and opened it. "This will be your room for now. That's your bed. Any clothes you need will be brought to you." He shut the door behind me, leaving me to face my new roommate.

"Hi," I said brightly, trying to be friendly. "My name is Akira. What's your name?" The girl sitting on the bed on the other side of the room seemed reluctant to answer. "Asuka," she finally murmured grudgingly. Another masked man entered the room before I could ask any more questions. "You, come with me," he said, motioning for me to follow him. I stood and left the room, curious. He led me to another large room, though the ceiling was lower than in the meeting room. "I will be training you. Every day you will be brought here to train. I don't go easy on people, so you need to learn quickly."

I nodded, and found myself on the floor. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a kick to the ribs. I leapt to my feet and watched the masked man, evaluating his strengths and weaknesses. He attacked, and I defended myself, choosing to dodge rather than block. Soon I realised his right ankle was on a strange angle, and kicked it. The man cursed, but had no chance to grab me before I had him on the floor and hung from a roof beam. He stared up at me, standing still. Soon I realised that I would have to come down. As soon as my feet touched the floor, he grabbed me. I broke free, and fled.

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><p><strong>AN- Hi again. Hope your-<strong>

**Akira: Why is no one reading my story? Am I boring? Is my misery not interesting enough?**

**MaiaSakamoto:... That's just sad. Anyway, please review this story, before Akira decides to take things into his own hands.**

**Akira: *evil chuckle* **

**MaiaSakamoto: *shudder* so yea, please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

She thought she could hide her emotions. That she could make her memories, her pain, disappear by ignoring it. But I know better. Asuka, like everyone else, dreamed. She talked in her sleep, and each night, exhausted though I was from training, I would lie awake and listen as she cried out in fear. The screams were horrible, painting pictures of torture and pain unimaginable. The very shadows seemed to writhe in pain, as though they too were subject to Asuka's nightmares. It hurt to realise that in the short space of a few years, two twelve year olds had been hurt so badly, had been through so much.

Her screams changed one night. She called out to someone, repeating the name again and again. Youji. I was curious, and wanted to know who Youji was. But I didn't ask. How could I? I couldn't force her to face her nightmares during the day as well. Instead, I pretended not to hear the screaming, that nothing was wrong. Besides, I was yet to discover why my family had been killed. I'd spent months agonising over the question ferociously, ever since arriving here. But I was no closer to an answer than I had been before I'd arrived at the Hidden Leaf Village.

I was distracted from my contemplation by the arrival of my Sensei. "Akira, come with me." I was led from the room, and was surprised to find that our trip ended in the large chamber I'd been brought to when I'd first arrived here with Kakashi. Even more surprising was the fact that Kakashi was waiting for us, as was the only woman on the council. She had removed her mask, and I froze when I saw her face. She smiled at me sadly, empathy and sorrow showing briefly in her eyes, before they seemed to freeze.

My aunt stood before me. She was my mother's twin sister, with long auburn hair and yellow-green eyes. The corner of her mouth twitched in a small smile, and I smiled back hesitantly, unsure of how to react. "Hello Akira." I stared, confused. "What are you doing here?" I asked quietly. She sighed, her smile once again becoming sad, her eyes once again freezing over. "This is my life, Akira. It's what I do." I nodded slowly, trying to take it all in, to calm my thoughts. She watched me, almost as if I were fragile, as if I would break at any moment. "I'm sorry you had to get dragged into all of this. It's my fault." My aunt began to tell a story, the story that would explain why my family was murdered.

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><p><strong>AN- Here it is, another chapter. I'd apologise for the half cliffhanger, but since so few people are reading, and I just couldn't be bothered writing more at the time I wrote this, I figured it didn't matter. For those of you who do read this, I apologise. So yea, please review. Just let me know people are reading this story.<strong>

**Akira- Do you surrender?**

**Asuka- No! My story will always be better than yours!**

**Akira- Really *pulls rope***

**Asuka is lowered towards a hole filled with explosive tags.**

**MaiaSakamoto- What can I say? The boy likes to blow things up.**


	7. Chapter 7

She began to tell me the story of why my family had been murdered. She had been on a mission with other members of ANBU. They were to infiltrate a village that was believed to be home to an S-rank criminal and missing ninja known as Itachi Uchiha. Itachi had not been alone, and the man with him had proved to be another S-rank criminal and missing ninja. The fight to capture them had become a fight to flee. My aunt had had her mask removed, and was recognised instantly by Itachi. She and a few of the other members of ANBU managed to escape, though two were gravely injured. The members of ANBU made it Kumogakure, where they stayed while injuries were treated. Upon returning home, she discovered that her sister had been attacked, and that all of the family had been killed.

When I'd walked into ANBU with Kakashi, my aunt had been so surprised and happy to see me that she had immediately requested I stay with ANBU. "I'm sorry Akira, it's my fault that your parents and sister were killed." I nodded slowly, trying to take it all in. "Why did my sister have this pendant?" I asked, showing her the necklace I wore. My aunt smiled sadly. "She was a member of ANBU. She showed such promise, but her life ended early." I nodded again, struggling to take it all in. Kakashi turned to me. "Akira, soon you too will be able to join ANBU. However, you must pass a series of tests first. Your training will begin now." Kakashi motioned to my Sensei, who led me from the room and to the training room.

The next three weeks consisted of training, eating, sleeping and training some more. I was so exhausted by the time I reached my room each night that Asuka and I barely spoke. One night though, Asuka looked a little upset. I was sitting on my bed when she walked into the room. Trying to get her to smile, I looked up at her and grinned. "How was training?" She shrugged. "Fine. I'm almost ready to join the ranks of ANBU." I smiled, happy for her. "That's great!" She looked away, upset. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked quietly. She nodded her head without turning, and climbed into bed. I crawled under my covers, with no idea of what to say to make her feel better.


	8. Chapter 8

"Akira, you are doing well. You will join the ranks of ANBU soon, if you pass the final test." I bowed my head, pleased by the praise. Sensei rarely praised me, and it felt good to know that I was doing well enough to earn it. "You may go back to your room now. There's nothing more for us to do today." I walked back slowly, unsure of what to do. I had spent so much time training, that I didn't know what to do anymore. Too soon I reached my room. Collapsing on my bed, I sighed. _Oh well, I may as well nap for a bit._ I lay still, but couldn't fall asleep. I was about to try meditation when Asuka walked in. She fell onto her bed, legs shaking.

"Asuka? What's happened?" I asked, worried. Standing, I walked towards Asuka and sat beside her. Using the hem of my shirt, I wiped blood from her cheek. A large gash marked her face, just below her eye. She stared at the blood on my shirt, and started crying. She leaned on me, and I held her gently, waiting for her to stop crying. When she had cried herself out, I covered her with the quilt and watched her until she fell asleep.

"Asuka, that cut needs tending. Please, go get it treated," I beseeched. She smiled weakly. "Alright, I'll go get it checked out. I'll be back soon." She left the room, bare feet making no sound on the floor. I watched her go, worried. What had happened? Sensei appeared in my room, his mask muffling his voice. "Come, Akira. We have training to do." I followed Sensei to the training room. We were training when I heard the scream. "Asuka!" I ran from the room, Sensei yelling at me. I ignored him, and followed the scream to its source.

Running round a corner, I saw Hitaro advancing on Asuka, cheek bleeding. Asuka had her claws out, and was backing away, desperate. "Hitaro!" I yelled, trying to distract him. Hitaro hesitated for a spilt second, before aiming a Jyuuken strike at Asuka. I ran forwards and leapt in front of Asuka. She screamed as the strike hit me, and I smiled. _She does care._ Hitaro threw me aside, and I landed on the floor. I couldn't move, and I knew I was dying. Moving my eyes, I saw Asuka flee, and Hitaro give chase. Hitaro came back around the corner, and soon I saw why. Kakashi and my aunt had him backing away, and they looked pissed. I smiled again, knowing that my sacrifice had saved Asuka.

When my aunt spotted me, she screamed. She and Kakashi rushed over, and Hitaro fled. "Hold on Akira, we'll get you some help. Don't die!" I sighed. "A..suka," I coughed. Kakashi nodded. "She's okay. She's fled the village; I don't think we're going to see her again. But she's alive." I smiled weakly, and coughed again. My aunt sat behind me and put my head in her lap. Kakashi stood and began to leave. "Kaka…shi. Thank you," I whispered. "No problem," he whispered back, and left. My aunt began to sing, tears streaming down her face. I closed my eyes, and listened to her voice. That song was the last thing I ever heard.


End file.
